Improvement in apparatus for the manufacture of coal-gas



28h 81w] 'IL'L-IAM GIBSON.

lmproveahenf i n Apparatus for the Manufacture. of Coal Gas.

' I 2 She-ts- -S h et"2. WILLIAM-GIBSON. .lmprovement in Apparatusforthe Manufacture of Coal Gas.

Nof119,135.

Patented Sep; 19, 18.71; h I

UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM GIBSON, OF OAMBRIDGE, ASSIGNOR TO THEAMERICAN OOAL-GAS- LIGHT IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COAL-GAS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,135, datedSeptember 19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it knownthat I, WILLIAM GrcsoN, of Cam bridge, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Goal-Gas Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification:

The nature of my invention relates to improvements on dip-pipes forthe-conduction of coalgas or other illuminating-gas from the retort tothe hydraulic main, arranged in such a manner that the dip-pipe andavalve are combined together,

but made to operate entirely independent the one of the other, thedifl'erence from other dip-pipes and retort-valves being that I do notcover my seal-dip with the plug, but have it at all times in open andautomatic communication with the stand-pipe leading from the retort tothe hydraulic main, by which arrangement I remove the liability toaccidents arising from the neglect of opening the valve during themanufacturing of gas, as will now be fully shown and described.

The drawing, Figure 1, represents a longitudinal section of thedip-pipe, valve, stand-pipe, and hydraulic main. Fig. 2 represents across-section over the line a- 3 taken on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a centrallongitudinal section over the line 12 2, also taken on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa bottom view of the seal dip-pipe.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on thedrawing.

The object I have in view is to provide an automaticf arrangement,whereby the gas from the retort will be allowed to pass at all times tothe hydraulic main either through an always-open dip-pipe or through apassage that can be opened or close by means of a valve, so as toprevent accidents, which it is apprehended might occur when the passagefrom the stand-pipe to the hydraulic main has been closed throughneglect of the operator during the manufacture of gas.

Several devices for this purpose have heretofore been made, but theyhave either been too costly or complicated and liable to clog up and getout of order. The mode in which I accomplish my purpose is simple,cheap, and reliable.

I am aware that a patent has been granted to Edward Jones, of Boston,Massachusetts, bearing date June 27, 1871. t He, however, uses asecondary pipe leading to a point below the liquid surface of thehydraulic main, in combination with a stop-valve between the retort andthe hydraulic main, but his arrangement is not combined in one and thesame shell. I am also aware that a patent was granted to Rufus B.Chapman, of Waltham, Massachusetts, bearing date August 1, 1871, wherethe dippipe and yalve are combined in the same shell; but his plandiifers from my invention in this respect, that he uses a number ofdirect passages surrounding the seal dip-pipe,

and that his valve-plug is perforated. My invention differs essentiallyfrom Ghapmans invention in that I do not use any perforated plug, buthave a solid or hollow one, that only covers the direct communicationwith the hydraulic main, and has no connection with the seal dip-pipe,which remains always open and in communication with the retort.

a is the stand-pipe leading from the retort, where the gas ismanufactured, and is connected to the bridge-pipe I) by means of boltsand flanges or suitable arrangement. The bridge-pipe b is connected bysimilar means to the valve-chest c, as shown. The lower end of thevalve-chest c is also provided with a flange, 11, secured to a flange,6, attached to the hydraulic main f, In the valvechest 0 is the plug g,movable, having Babbitt or soft metal-bearings h h, as shown. The lowerpart of the valve-chest 0 is divided into two separate channels, '5 and7c. The former, i, is a direct communication from the valve-chest to theupper part of the hydraulic main, and the latter, is, is the sealdip-pipe that extends below the surface of the liquid in the hydraulicmain, as shown. The dip-pipe k is cast in one piece with the valve chest0, and is composed of an upright wall, Z, and a half-circular wall, m,as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The upper part of the wall 1 forms a seatfor the plug g, and is also provided with a Babbitt or other softmetal-bearing, n, on which the plug 9 is closely fitted, so as to closeeffectually the passage z' when the plug 9 is in a position as shown inFig. 1. I wish it to be distinctly understood that the plug 9 does not,at any time, cover the dip-pipe k, which always re mains in opencommunication with the bridgepipe I) and the hydraulic main. The plug 9is operated in the following manner: A spindle, 0, is attached to theplug 9, as shown, and guided in a suitable stufiin g-box, p, in which itis made to move forward and backward by means of manual power applied tothe lever q, hung to the arm r,

as shown. I do not, however, confine myself to this kind of leverarrangement, as any suitable construction of the lever and bearin g willaccomplish the samepurpose. The upper side of the plug gis curved, asshown at s, Fig. 1, and slopes toward the dip-pipe It, by whicharrangement any liquids that are carried from the retort an d lodged onthe plug 9 will drop down easily into the dippipe k or passage 13. Theextreme forward end of the plug 9 is made thin and sharp, so as toscrape off the accumulations that may settle on the bearing a when theplug gis withdrawn from said seat a, and thus keep the seat a alwaysclean: A conical shape is given to the plug g, as shown, by whicharrangement the plug 9 will always wear itself to a true seat in itsguides and bearings. The valve-chest 0 does not stand in a line with thepipe to, but is turned to one side, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby I amenabled to operate the lever q without interference with the'stand-pipea. I employ Babbitt or other soft-metal bearings h h n for the plug g,but I do not confine myself to the use of soft metal only, as I couldalso make the bearings for the plug 9 of iron, cast in one piece withthe valve-chest, or fit other kinds of metallic bearings thereto.

The operation of my valve and dip-pipe is as follows: When gas is madein the retort I keep the plug g drawn back so that the gas can passfreely through the channel 1' to the hydraulic main without goingthrough the liquid in the main; but when it is required to charge theretort anew or to repair the same, I close the opening i by means of theplug g.

Should the operator neglect to open the passage 2' when gas is beingmade, the result will be that the gas will pass through the dip pipe itinto the hydraulic main, as of old, and no accident can thus occur fromoverpressure in the retort. From this it will readily be understood thatmy invention is an automatic or self-acting dip-pipe seal and valvecombined, and that I never cover my dippipe k with the plug g, but keepthe dip-pipe in open communication with the retort and the hydraulicmain, whether said valve is open or shut.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation ofmy invention, I wish to say that I do not claim a dip-pipe outside thevalve-chest neither do I claim a perforated plug and a dip-pipe with oneor more openings for the gas to pass through; but

What I claim, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An automatic dip-pipe seal and valve combined in the same chest, thegate or plug of the valve being arranged so as to close the directpassage only, without at any time closing the dip-pipe, for the purposeas fully set forth and described.

2. The construction and arrangement of the plug g, as described, withthe upper side 8 curved sloping toward the dippipe k, in a manner andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The soft-metal guides h h and n, in combination with a sliding plug,9, for the purpose as herein fully set forth and described.

WILLIAM GIBSON.

Witnesses:

011s. H. HUNT, JOHN L. TUCKER.

